Topic: The KB label revisited + Balboa info

[KevinH]

I know it can be confusing to have the same thing in two places, and I understand why my original message about the KB label has been locked in this forum. But for some things that apply to both paperweights and Italian / Murano glassware, useful information posted only in one place is often missed in the other.

So I am taking another liberty and posting this copy of an update to a message in the Paperweights forum (saves people having to read through that message to find the relevant bit).

The KB label ...

From leads posted in the GMB, I checked with Molta Bella Glass at Trocadero.com and they kindly put me in touch with eBay member pwezgma (Robin) who has given permission for the following information to be posted here:

Hi Kevin,me again.I checked my records and KB did go out of business in 1977.They were exporters of good Murano glass and yes the label can be found on other pieces but mostly Toso.

So, it seems that the paperweights with the KB label are most likely Toso and and date to 1977 at the latest.

Robin also finished her message with some additional info on Balboa, which could be useful to some folk ...

Also just as a little info,if you ever see a green Balboa label on a piece,be advised that the Balboa family used to import Barovier and Barbini into the states.The old man of the family is still alive and lives in New York.He still goes to Italy to visit his old glass blowing friends.Some people think that Balboa was a glass blower,not so just an importer.Good luck Robin

[Laura Friedman]

Interesting info. Thanks for posting it.

Do you onw which "toso"?  There were and are several.

Laura

[KevinH]

Good question Laura  

Short answer: No, I don't know for sure which Toso.

Longer answer: In respect of paperweights, and the millefiroi canes used, I believe "Toso" means the long-running company of Fratelli Toso. But which dates certain items were produced and under which member of the Toso family, I have no real knowledge. It's an area that I might, one day, find myself studying as I find the variations in millefiori so fascinating.

[Frank]

Did anyone get any further information on this exporting company, like full name, date of starting? I have an opalescent moulded dog to add to the Zoo with this label on it. Were they an Italian company?

[KevinH]

In Robin's email to me (see above) she said, " ... exporters of good Murano glass ...".

I took that to mean they were in Italy (and possibly even Venice).

[Frank]

I need some more Italian material. 

[TxSilver]

KB did handle many Fratelli Toso pieces, but I am seeing their labels very often on Barovier-Toso, Seguso, and the glass of the less-collected Murano pieces. I have to say that it would be very risky to say something is probably FT because it has the KB label. The only safe way I know to attribute FT based on the KB label is if one knows it is FT already. I don't mean to sound apprehensive here, but KB is a very common label on Murano pieces.

Anita

[TxSilver]

I was interrupted when I was writing this last message, so thought I would finish. The problem with linking KB heavily with Fratelli Toso can be that people will assume something is made by FT. For example, KB handles a lot of FT millefiori pieces, as well as lower quality millefiori pieces. If someone sees the label and assumes something is FT, they will be disappointed later when they learn that it isn't.

The millefiori pieces with the E&R label or A Decora label seem to all be nice pieces by FT or AVeM (though I might be very wrong here). The KB label is more iffy. Fortunately, one can normally judge a good piece of glass by means other than the label. If anyone ever comes up with a way that we can feel via the computer, it would be great for glass buyers. But heaven forbid the things that would happen on porn sites.

Anita

[Frank]

KB labelled figure

[svazzo]

Hi Frank,
KB also had Fenton as part of their items.
Im sure they had others too.
The dog doesnt look Murano to me at all.